This show handled several difficult topics such as gender identity and Indigenous identity, but does so in a respectful and appropriate way. I was very relieved to find out that they did actually cast actors whose identities and lived-experiences could inform these roles.

The two leads Smith Purdy and Haley Vincent were excellent in their parts. Both were able to naturally switch between comedic scenes and heavier topics, as well as show the vulnerability needed to make each character believable.

The script itself makes the characters of Nic and Alex very three-dimensional right away which helps bring the audience into the story and keeps them engaged. It also does an excellent job of switching from serious conversations to fun moments with a pacing that worked well for the show.

Unfortunately, there were many technical issues that still needed to be worked out. Since I saw the first performance these will hopefully be sorted out as the week goes on.

First of all the microphones were not picking up sound well, that made it difficult to hear what was being said for me as well as other members of the audience who I asked.

I also found there to be a lack of ambient noise, which took away from the setting. Every time they mentioned that they were in a forest it came as a surprise to me because I kept forgetting, due to the silence and the simple staging. However, the chosen music did well to set the tone, especially for intense moments.

The usage of the stage was minimal. It felt like the play was created for a much smaller venue and as such there was a large amount of unused space. This created a void-like feeling. The large black curtain and lack of set design only increased this feeling of void. It would have been nice to have some trees or a fall backdrop to make you feel like you are on a highway in Algonquin.

Overall, I believe that “Algonquin Highway” has a lot of potential to be a heavy hitter at this year’s Fringe Festival, but the company must work through some of the technical difficulties soon so that the excellent script and performances by the actors are not overshadowed.